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Cable cleaning - Need help guys!!

11-11-2008, 11:51 AM

Since this forum has the best and most knowledgable guys in the Plumbing and Drain Cleaning world, I'd thought I'd get everyone's opinion about this debacle

I actually wrote about this in another post, but now my problem is cleaning my cable. There was a second floor 3" PVC line was clogged solid. I didn't smell Drain-O or it didn't burn my skin when I had to transfer water from the toilet to a bucket, but I asked the customer, they said they used it.

So after I clear the drain with my K60 (7/8" cable) and start pulling back my cable, there is a bunch of crap on it. I couldn't tell if it was diarrhea or food! It was probably a mixture of both. Yummy! I tried using the water supply connector to spray off the junk but it didn't get all of it off. I couldn't use the outside faucets because they were winterized already.

Anyways, that night, I tried cleaning my cable with the garden hose at my dad's house and with a good spray gun on the end. Well, it's cold now and this is about a week later, but now my cable has rust stains all over! Maybe I'm overreacting, but is there something I should soak my cable in so it doesn't deteriorate any more after every job? Should I lay out my cable on the street after every main drain call and use some product on it to clean it up real good?

I don't take care of my cable nearly as well as some say I should. In fact a few weeks ago I found two sections behind my shed in the tall grass (almost found them with the mower). They've been sitting there all summer. I did use a bit of snake oil on the ends to keep things moving freely but other then that they are fine.

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Comment

I do almost zero cable maintenance. I don't think I go through any more cables than anyone else. Mostly if I wreck a cable, it's from overtorquing it doing something I really out to have a bigger cable for but am too lazy to go get.

If I trip over a can of wd-40 and the van door is open and the snake is right there, I might squirt some in the drum. Mostly to keep the little dried up flakes of rust (which I think are mostly off the inside of the drum, not from the cable anyway) stuck to the cable so they don't fly all over as I'm feeding it out.

The easiest cleaning method I think is to run a bunch of water in the line after you've popped the clog while rotating the machine and wiping off with a rag as you pull back.

This is my reminder to myself that no good will ever come from discussing politics or religion with anyone, ever.

Comment

The easiest cleaning method I think is to run a bunch of water in the line after you've popped the clog while rotating the machine and wiping off with a rag as you pull back.

Yeah, that is what I usually do but this bathroom didn't have a shower or tub and the sinks drained into another stack and didn't tie in until after the clog. I should of used the water closet supply line but of course I was talking to the homeowner and wasn't thinking at the time

Comment

The easiest way to clean a cable is to clean it as you're snaking out a line. Run water as your cleaning, if going through a closet bend, put a 20" riser on the angle stop for a water supply. In your case, just get the cable in the cage and toss the whole thing in the dishwasher...........just kidding, don't do this. But seriously, take it to a car wash and spray it down with their pressure washer and spray wd40 afterwards. Don't worry about the surface rust, 1st time you go through a C/I line, it'll all be gone